

Upcoming State Board of Education meetings:
• July 21-23, 2010
• September 22-24, 2010
• November 17-19, 2010
For Adoption Updates, Click here
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"Open-Source" Classroom Materials: Nation's Oldest Hispanic Rights Groups Urge Perry to Allow Public Review SAN ANTONIO At a San Antonio press conference on January 7, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) & the American G.I. Forum warned that rules adopted by Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott for adoption of “Open-Source” textbook material threaten or prevent public participation in the textbook review process, and potentially expose Texas to lawsuits because certain parts of the state will not have “equal access” to online content. To continue reading, click here ![]() ![]() Upcoming State Board of Education meetings: • July 21-23, 2010 • September 22-24, 2010 • November 17-19, 2010 For Adoption Updates, Click here E-Textbooks More Popular in Texas Schools, But Shift Will Take Some Getting Used To Fort Worth Star-Telegram When Kristin Bratsch couldn't find the textbook she needed, she decided to try an electronic version, a series of PDF files that she downloaded onto her computer. After completing the course Concepts of Fitness and Wellness, Bratsch, a student at Collin County Community College's McKinney campus, had mixed feelings about the e-textbook. To continue reading, click here Education Board OKs Use of Trust Fund for Charter Schools Dallas Morning News A sharply divided State Board of Education opened the door Friday to tapping Texas' education trust fund for charter school buildings despite warnings the action could harm the fund. The Permanent School Fund--the second-largest education endowment in the country--is primarily used to purchase textbooks for children in public schools. To continue reading, click here INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FUNDING UPDATE JULY 2010 Lawmakers will face severe budget shortfalls mandating difficult funding decisions when the 82nd Texas Legislature convenes in January 2011. The textbooks needed by Here’s an update on the current funding status of student textbooks: Computers at Home: Educational Hope vs. Teenage Reality New York Times Middle school students are champion time-wasters. And the personal computer may be the ultimate time-wasting appliance. Put the two together at home, without hovering supervision, and logic suggests that you won't witness a miraculous educational transformation. To continue reading, click here
New York Times Recently, book publishers got some good news. Researchers gave 852 disadvantaged students 12 books (of their own choosing) to take home at the end of the school year. They did this for three successive years. To continue reading, click here Schools' Stimulus Spending Tough to Track amid Varied Reporting Rules Dallas Morning News Alongside textbooks and technology, Texas school districts have doled out stimulus money to car dealerships, Atmos Energy and neighboring cities. To continue reading, click here Experts: Texas' Textbook Clout Inflated Associated Press Pop quiz: Does the school curriculum adopted in Texas really wind up in textbooks nationwide? If you answered yes, you might get a failing grade. To continue reading, click here
Austin American-Statesman Fiscal responsibility, whether in times of surplus or restraint, is a virtue. Unfortunately, the controversy surrounding the school curriculum for Texas students has obfuscated funding issues for instructional materials. To continue reading, click here Editorial: New Board of Education Could Fix Standards Next Year Dallas Morning News As expected, the State Board of Education passed a flawed set of social studies standards last week for Texas students. Also expected was the resulting firestorm of debate across the country. But here's a little-known piece of possible good news: The standards approved last week need not be the last word. The board that comes into office in January, which should have two to three more moderate memebers, could revise them, if the new board moves fast. New Science Textbooks for Texas Schools on Hold as State Anticipates Budget Shortfall Dallas Morning News Students will have to hang on to old science books for a year or two longer because of the state's budget crunch. State Board of Education members Tuesday reluctantly decided to postpone action on new science books for schools, a move that will temporarily save up to $500 million. To continue reading, click here New Science Textbooks Face Budget Snag Austin American-Statesman The $1.4 billion price tag for new science textbooks and other materials has been causing sticker shock among state officials bracing for the upcoming shortfall. So, the State Board of Education on Tuesday must decide whether to push ahead despite the cost or delay the textbooks for at least a year to save the state money in the 2012-13 budget shortfall. To continue reading, click here
Austin American-Statesman The State Board of Education had received more than 20,000 public comments as of last week on the proposed revision of social studies curriculum standards. That incomplete tally the monthlong comment period ends May 19 has swamped the 3,000 comments received during last year's debate of science curriculum standards. The science debate reached a fevered pitch over how to teach evolution in biology classes and attracted widespread attention. But it pales in comparison with the heat generated by the standards that will shape history, government and economics textbooks and courses for Texas' 4.7 million public school students. "It's been much greater than we anticipated. Certainly much more than I have ever seen before," said Monica Martinez, managing director of the curriculum division at the Texas Education Agency.
Electronic Texts Might Not Benefit Students, Education Austin American-Statesman Plans were discussed recently to replace printed textbooks with electronic ones in the state's public schools. Although some state leaders prefer moving in this direction, I would urge that it not be a top-down approach or a cost-shifting strategy for the state. And most important, I would insist that the quality of the materials be the central focus of any change. Texas' Clout Over Textbooks Could Shift with Market Education Week With the Texas Board of Education expected to adopt controversial new standards for social studies next month, many observers and news outlets have emphasized that the action may have ripple effects that reach classrooms far beyond the Lone Star State. Texas has long been seen as having an outsized inlfluence on publishers' wares, because of the size of the market and the fact that it's among the 20 "adoption" states that identify lists of approved instructional materials for districts to use. Electronic Textbooks Feasible? Letter to the Editor The Abilene-Reporter News published a Letter to the Editor questioning the feasibility of a
Jay Diskey On behalf of the AAP's School Division, Jay Diskey issued the following statement today: "I applaud Governor Perry's support for advancing the transition to digital instructional materials for Texas students. There is no question that the classroom of the future will have a mix of digital and other learning materials."
Karla Christman As Immediate Past-President of the Textbook Coordinators Association of Texas, I commend Gov. Perry's leadership and vision in advocating for the transition to technology in Texas classrooms. This transition to technology is an exciting, dramatic step forward. Perry: Texas Should Move to Online Textbooks Associated Press Gov. Rick Perry proposed Wednesday that To read the complete Associated Press article, click here Editorial: Safeguarding the Textbook School Fund from the Skim Is Imperative Texas Insider On March 12, 2010, the State Board of Education announced that the Texas Permanent School Fund is now valued at $22.2 billion, up from $18.1 billion in December 2008. Why is this significant? Because the Texas Permanent School Fund (PSF) provides the funding that the state uses to purchase instructional materials for all students attending public school in Texas, as the Texas Constitution requires. SBOE UPDATE: Of Thomas Jefferson & "Open Source" Textbooks Texas Insider The State Board of Education passed four amendments clarifying the open-source issue when we met for our March meeting from March 9 through 12, 2010 . These amendments further define the open-source issue and place more stringent parameters on the materials. Reports of Texas Determining Textbook Content for Students across the Nation Are an "Urban Myth" Texas Tribune As the media attention surrounding the State Board of Education's revising social studies standards exploded nationally in recent weeks, a primary narrative has emerged: that whatever Texas' SBOE members decide will be published in textbooks nationwide for years to come. Textbook publishers, however, conclusively correct this persistent myth. Though Texas has been painted in scores of media reports as the big dog that wags the textbook industry tail, that's simply no longer true--and will become even less true in the future, as technological advances and political shifts transform the marketplace, said Jay Diskey, executive director of the Association of American Publisher's School Division. Diskey calls the persistent reports of Texas dominating the market an "urban myth." Outside Texas, Alarm Over Textbook Changes Los Angeles Times When Texas' State Board of Education voted for new social studies standards this month, parents, teachers and lawmakers far beyond the Lone State state took notice. Observers have warned that those new standards could seep into textbooks throughout the country, because Texas is one of the nation's largest textbook buyers. Top-Notch Educational Content Remains Crucial: Publishers Respond to Statesman Article Texas Curriculum Publishers today responded to the March 10 Austin American-Statesman article, "Texas' Influence on Textbooks Could Wane - Budget Woes, Technology Advances Make Battles over Book Content Less Important" with a Letter to the Editor. While commending the Statesman's front page coverage of this critical issue--the transition to digital instructional materials in the classroom, the Letter to the Editor also underscores the importance of ensuring quality educational content for Texas schoolchildren in the midst of this transition. Let's Make Texas School Kids Post-Election Season Winners: Tincy Miller Defeat Could Put Funding in Peril Texas Insider When voters headed to the polls for yesterday’s March 2nd Primary, most were focused on the choice immediately in front of them: which candidate to vote for on the ballot. The 82nd Texas Legislative Session begins in January 2011, and convening lawmakers will be faced with budget shortfalls mandating difficult choices. Unfortunately, Texas schoolchildren are especially vulnerable to the consequences of these budget cuts. SBOE to Consider Tighter Rules to Monitor "Open Source" Textbook Issue Texas Insider AUSTIN - Last week, the State Board of Education (SBOE) met for the first time in 2010. It was an exciting meeting with a very packed agenda, and consequently we were not able to complete everything. For instance, the Board had planned to consider a tighter set of rules to help the Texas Education Agency monitor the “Open Source” Textbook issue, but due to the constraints on time, we elected to wait until the next meeting to discuss it. Perry has his allies in "Race to the Top" debate Amarillo Globe-News AUSTIN - When it comes to public education issues, Anette Carlisle does not always see eye to eye with Gov. Rick Perry and other state leaders. But Carlisle, president of the Amarillo Independent School District Board of Trustees, agrees that Perry was right to decide Texas wouldn't compete for a federal education grant that could have brought as much as $700 million to cash-strapped school districts in the state. Perry won't let Texas compete for federal school money Houston Chronicle Texas will not compete for a potential $700 million in federal grant funding for schools, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday, because it could give Washington too much say in deciding what the state's students should learn. Texas Must Proceed Carefully with Open Source Materials and Curriculum Texas Curriculum In 2010, Texas school districts will be faced with new open source textbook materials, Click here to learn about Innovations in Reading Instruction Click here to learn about Publisher-Developed Instructional Programs Click here to learn about New English as a Second Language Materials "Open Source" Textbooks Are Reason for Grave Concern Texas Insider The week before Thanksgiving, the State Board of Education (SBOE) met for its November meeting and a number of issues were covered that were of great importance. Many of these issues are nearing critical decision points which are scheduled for our upcoming January & March SBOE Meetings. State Considers Open-Source Rulemaking The State Board of Education (SBOE) has limited presence
To continue reading, click here State Considers Rules for Technology Purposes Diverts instructional materials funding to purchase technology To continue reading, click here State Board of Education ![]() |